When Will You Decide to Change Your Spending Habits?

I was recently talking to a woman who is unable to pay her necessity bills (utility, car note, car insurance, food, gas for car, etc.). She is working but is not making a lot of money. I wonder at what point does a person say enough is enough. I am tired of being broke, busted and disgusted. Are you tired of having no food, living paycheck to paycheck, charging groceries and gas, unable to pay for basic necessities?

Times are hard and you have to wake up and realize that you have to change your mindset if you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck. There are many ways to save money and reduce basic expenses. First you have to decide if you want to live a better life, if you do then you have to change the way you think about money, spending money and saving. Saving money is your safety net, your emergency fund in case you get sick or lose your job you can use your savings to hold you for a few months until you can go back to work or get a new job.

Even if you are not making a lot of money you can still save money and reduce your expenses. Here are 10 tips to help you reduce expenses:
1. Cancel you cable service or reduce your services to basic and/or expanded basic service.
2. Reduce your cell phone service down to the cheapest plan and don't use the phone until non- peak time when the rates are free.
3. Turn off lights, televisions, computers, etc. at home when you are not using them.
4. Bring your lunch to work.
5. Catch the bus, subway or carpool to work. If you don't mind walking walk to the subway or walk to the next subway stop (saving a few cents now will add up later).
6. Have a yard sale to sell things you haven't used in the past year.
7. Donate things you aren't using anymore or didn't sell at the yard sale to a charity (you can write the donations off on your taxes).
8. Donate that old abandoned car in the garage to a charity and write it off on your taxes.
9. Shop at superclubs such as Costo, BJ's or Sam's Club.
10. Use coupons when grocery shopping.

This is just a sample of the information I provide in my debut self-help book entitled, How to Get Out of Debt: Get an "A" Credit Rating for Free Using the System I've Used Successfully with Thousands of Clients available online now at Amazon.com and all bookstores in Dec. 2006. I hope these tips help you lead a better financial life!